MiG-21s Gone, HAL Has Work Cut Out On Delivery Of Tejas Mk 1A Jet Or Risk India's Air Power

Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh’s conversation with top officials of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited went viral at Bengaluru’s Aero India Show in February.

Air Chief Marshal Singh

criticised Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) for not delivering any of the promised 83 Tejas Mk 1A jets to the Indian Air Force. He questioned why it was not prioritising this project and rebuked the “ chalta hai” attitude, expressing concerns over national security.

Even now, not a single Tejas Mk 1A jet has been delivered. Additionally, 36 MiG-21 fighter jets were retired last week in a decommissioning ceremony in Chandigarh, with the Chief of the Air Staff flying one.

This raises the question whether HAL will rise to the occasion and deliver on its commitments, as it is a matter of India’s security.

Last week, the IAF retired its MiG-21 squadrons, which have been the backbone of the air force since the 1960s but are now outdated and prone to accidents. Inducted in 1963, India used 874 MiG-21 jets over the decades, with HAL building over 60 percent of them.

From the 1971 war to the Kargil conflict, and from the Balakot airstrike to ‘Operation Sindoor’, the MiG-21 turned out to be a solid weapon for India. But now, they are history.

The IAF’s sanctioned strength is 42 fighter squadrons, but it is currently operating with only 29 with 16 to 18 jets each. The phased retirement of the MiG-21 has widened this gap and replacements are not arriving on time.

Since 2021, HAL has had an order worth Rs 47,000 crore for 83 Tejas Mk 1A fighters, but no jets have been delivered so far even though deliveries were to begin in 2024 and complete in 2028. The air force wants them faster, but only the first two of these 83 jets might come this year.

A major issue for HAL is obtaining engines from GE Aerospace in the United States for these fighter jets. These supplies will determine how quickly it can deliver these.

So far, only three engines have been delivered to HAL with the first arriving in March. It has cited engine supply chain problems with GE as a major cause for the delay, stating that structures will be ready but deliveries can only happen once the engines arrive.

But, can the government keep waiting?

Last week, the government signed another mega contract with HAL, an even bigger order of 97 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk1A worth Rs 66,500 crore. The defence public sector undertaking (PSU) now has the task of delivering 180 fighter jets to the IAF, including Tejas Mk 1A, on schedule and ramping up production lines.

This is crucial as India cannot afford to fall behind Pakistan, which has 25 fighter squadrons compared to India’s 29. Pakistan has also signed a deal with China to acquire 35 to 40 J-35 fifth-generation jets.

In the context of ‘Operation Sindoor’, where fighter jets played a major role, India understands the importance of maintaining air superiority over Pakistan. Facing challenges from both Pakistan and China, India cannot afford any capability void in air power.

This is why the government signed a contract with HAL for 97 LCA Mk1A, with deliveries commencing in 2027-2028 and completing over six years. The aircraft will have over 64 percent indigenous content and incorporate 67 additional items beyond the previous LCA Mk1A contract signed in January 2021.

Integrating advanced indigenously developed systems like the UTTAM Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar, Swayam Raksha Kavach, and control surface actuators will further strengthen the atmanirbharta initiatives.

But the critical question remains — will the jets arrive on time?

With the MiG-21s retiring, the focus shifts to the Su-30MKI, now the backbone of the IAF fleet with nearly 270 aircraft in service. India also has two squadrons of French Rafale aircraft — 36 in total — providing a significant edge in the region.

As demonstrated during ‘Operation Sindoor’, Rafales can carry out long-range precision strikes without needing to cross the border. The Mirage-2000, MiG-29, and Jaguar are also part of the arsenal.

Foreign purchases, however, take time. India recently approved buying 26 Rafale-M jets from France for carrier operations, but they won’t arrive before 2029.

Then there is the AMCA — a fifth-generation, multi-role, twin-engine stealth fighter being developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) under DRDO for the IAF. India aims to develop this aircraft via private industry partnerships instead of solely through the public sector, meaning HAL is not the default partner.

In August, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced that India will jointly manufacture advanced jet engines for the AMCA with French aerospace major Safran. But again, this will take time with the service induction of the AMCA possibly taking a decade.

All this further stresses the need for HAL to deliver promptly. Three engines have arrived, and GE is expected to deliver 12 more by March 2026 with a total of 99 engines by 2028.

‘Operation Sindoor’ has shown that modern warfare heavily relies on air power and technology. The IAF was able to strike deep inside Pakistani territory within hours of the Pahalgam terror attack, showcasing how air power allows for rapid and decisive action. Precision strikes on radar sites, hangars, and airbases demonstrated how calibrated air power could punish an adversary without escalating conflicts uncontrollably.

In a hostile neighbourhood, India needs supreme air power to deter its enemies. The path forward is self-sufficiency and atmanirbharta, whether in fighter aircraft or jet engines. India cannot afford to lose any advantage to Pakistan or China.